Monday, May 9, 2011

Augustana Ministerium (sic) Meeting Now, Discussing Justification

Bishop-for-Life James Heiser, aka Rt. Rev.


Apparently the Augustana Ministerium (sic) is the recruiting tool for the Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America (ELDONA), much like Word Alone and the LCMC.

"It is a curious fact in denominational history, that, as an ordinary rule, the more large, catholic, and churchly the title of a sect, the smaller, narrower, and more sectarian is the body that bears it."
Charles P. Krauth, The Conservative Reformation and Its Theology, Philadelphia: The United Lutheran Publication House, 1871, p. 115.

ELDONA seems to have about a dozen part-time congregations so far. The Augustana Ministerium title is historically confusing, since that was the name of a specific group of Swedish-American Lutheran ministers. In fact, Conrad Bergendoff's book about every single graduate of Augustana Seminary in Rock Island is called The Augustana Ministerium.

I am curious whether this conference is delving into doctrine and history or just repeating talking points from seminary.

Here are some ways to judge an essay or book:
  1. Does the author give a fair description of the opposing view, with accurate quotations? Giving one side of the argument is a logical fallacy called special pleading.
  2. What are the sources? All sides of the issue should be represented in the list of works cited.
  3. Are bromides used as a substitute for doctrinal discernment?